Digital Content Vending, Delivery, And Maintenance System

ABSTRACT

A digital content vending machine in which a client on a personal computer, contains an infrastructure and an inventory. The infrastructure and inventory may both be stored in a hard drive, or the inventory may instead be stored on a removable media The infrastructure presents a graphical user interface on the client which metaphorically resembles a village containing a plurality of stores operated by vendors. Customers shop in the stores by selecting assets, constituting the inventory, and sending money and an identifier to a clearing house via a communications system such as telephone, private network, or the Internet. The clearing house returns a key used to at least partially remove a digital wrapper protecting the asset from unauthorized use. A master server may also be provided to update the infrastructure and inventory, and to provide additional keys used to remove the digital wrappers.

This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No.60/058,623, filed Sep. 11, 1997.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the marketing functions ofvending and delivery of digital content and services related thereto,and more particularly to interactive computer network systems for suchmarketing.

BACKGROUND ART

Today we are seeing a merging of many products and services into digitalformats. Some typical examples of such digital products are computersoftware; audio content, like music or audio-books; and audio-visualcontent, like videos and movies. For present purposes, the salientfeature of such digital products is that they can often be treated asmere bags-of-bits (BOB's), with the underlying nature of the productsignored during most handling after creation and before use.

Somewhat less widely appreciated is that many services are now alsodigital to a considerable extent. For example, computer users today letapplets run tests and communicate the results to providers for obtaininginstallation, upgrade, and problem diagnosis of operating system andapplications software; computer game players send each other hints viae-mail; and Internet “telephone” and “radio” are emerging asreplacements for specialized telephone and broadcast systems. Thus,often to a considerable extent services today can be reduced to digitalcommunications, and can then also be treated as BOB's, in a somewhatmore dynamic sense.

For more stable forms of such digital content, such as the productsnoted above, it has long been appreciated that the particular storagemedia used has become largely irrelevant. Tape, disk, and drum media areall common, as are physical, magnetic, and optical means of impressingdigital content into them. Similarly, for digital services the channelsof communication used have similarly become largely irrelevant.Electrical current through wires, light through fibers, and radiationthrough space are all common, and substantially interchangeablecommunications channels.

Of relatively recent advent are communications networks, particularlyincluding public networks like the Internet. Although access to suchnetworks is still far from universal, such networks are increasing thetrend towards the irrelevance of the underlying media used to storedigital products and the medium used to communicate digital services.Accordingly, in the following discussion the collective term “digitalcontent” is used.

Because networks are overwhelmingly computerized, and thus those mostfamiliar already with computers can be expected to most easilyappreciate and readily adopt network storage and delivery of digitalcontent, examples in the context of personal computers will be primarilyused (personal computer: “PC”; used here in the broad sense, becauseeven most computers in business today are actually termed PC's). Itshould, however, at all times also be appreciated that the principlesbeing discussed are valid for and extendable to other contexts.

Turning now to an example of how the potential of digital content is notadequately being employed, new PC's today are usually purchased withsome specific task in mind, such as word-processing. However, often thecustomer also wants to try out new PC hardware and softwarecapabilities, much like the child in us all likes to immediately playwith a new toy. Further, when a consumer purchases a new PC he or sheusually also wants to employ it for such intended and experimental tasksalmost immediately. It thus is not surprising that studies show that newPC owners are twice as likely to purchase software, as compared to oneswho have owned their computers for longer than three months.

Various vehicles for delivery of software for new PC's exist. Forexample, it can be obtained at the same time as a new PC, or byreturning to the store for later purchase. Further, obtaining thesoftware at the same time as the PC can be achieved as a collateralpurchase, or it can be obtained as “bundled” software coming with thePC. Unfortunately, there are a number of problems with these methods ofdelivery.

The collateral purchase of software usually occurs only when theconsumer knows exactly what he or she wants, or when the price is withinthe consumer's impulse purchase price range (i.e., relatively low inprice). There are various reasons for this, but some typical onesinclude the divide and conquer approach to getting a complex systemworking (including even so-called turn-key PC's today), and thepalatability of separating hardware and software costs (which aresubstantial, particularly together).

In theory, the bundled approach to software delivery seems quitedesirable. The consumer gets pre-installed working software, and economyof scale keeps the price for this low. Unfortunately, theory and realitydo not mesh well here, and the desire of PC manufacturers today is toreduce the amount of bundled software. In surveys the reasons cited forthis include cost (approx. $20 per system; which is substantial in thelow margin competitive field of hardware sales), lack of quality in thesoftware offerings (so-called “shovelware”), and general customerdissatisfaction. In fact, one top-ten PC manufacturer has found thatover 20% of its customer survey respondents sent their PC's back becausethe bundled software “didn't work.”

Thus, later purchase of software (i.e., post initial PC sale) remainsthe overwhelming means by which consumers today obtain software fortheir PC's, but even this approach has problems which are legend.Obviously there is the awkwardness of a second purchase, or purchases,with the attendant issues of what is now current, where it is in stock,and whether the stores are open. There are also heightened compatibilityproblems, since the consumer is now back in the store and the PC is nowat home or in the office. And there are customer service issues. Even ifthe consumer returns to the very same store where he or she bought thePC, and perhaps even the very same clerk, he or she is now treated as ifthe present software purchase is the total extent of the commercialrelationship.

However, as noted above, there are emerging new trends in marketingitself. Computer software is one of the leading commodities which hasbecome digital content. For example, less than 2% of all software saleswere recorded in electronic distribution channels in 1996, but thatfigure is expected to increase rapidly. Studies now show that ⅓ ofsoftware publishers expect ½ of their sales volume to be deliveredelectronically within the next 12-18 months.

Unfortunately, today electronic distribution of computer softwareremains merely another form of “later purchase” of software. It doesnothing about, and in some cases even exacerbates, the existingtechnical issues of installation, configuration, and compatibility. Andit introduces a plethora of new commercial issues, such as consumertrust in the mechanisms used for transactions, protections for theintellectual property in manufacturer's software products, and legalmechanisms to address breakdowns in these.

Accordingly, from the above it follows that what is today needed is anew mechanism for the marketing of computer software and services. And,by implication, as additional forms of digital content become common aswell, such new marketing mechanisms should be extendable to them aswell.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a newmechanism for the marketing of digital content.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for themarketing of digital content which substantially eliminatespurchase-time communications of the digital content to the endconsumers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for themarketing of digital content which is substantially ambivalent to theunderlying nature of the digital content.

And, another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for themarketing of digital content which operates continuously, wheneverconsumers want and without need for the actual physical availability ofvendor and financial intermediary parties.

Briefly, one preferred embodiment of the present invention is a systemfor marketing digital content on a personal computer. A communicationssystem is provided to communicate between a client and a clearing house.The client resides on a user's personal computer and contains aninventory of assets, the digital content. The assets are protected fromunauthorized use by a digital wrapper requiring at least one key forunwrapping. The client displays information about the inventory on thepersonal computer so that users can select particular assets. The clientthen transmits money representing payment for the selection and anidentifier for it to the clearing house, which transmits back to theclient a key associated with the selected asset. Once the clientreceives all of the required keys, the selection is unwrapped.

Briefly, a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is amethod for marketing digital content on a personal computer. Apre-stored inventory containing a number of assets is provided on auser's personal computer. The assets are instances of the digitalcontent and are protected from unauthorized use by a digital wrapperrequiring at least one key for unwrapping. Information about theinventory is displayed on the personal computer and a user makes aselection representing a particular asset. Money, representing paymentfor the selection, is then transmitted along with an asset identifier toa clearing house, via a communications system. The clearing house thensends back a key. Again, once the client receives all of the requiredkeys, the selection is unwrapped.

Briefly, a third preferred embodiment of the present invention is aclient for marketing digital content on a personal computer. The clientresides on a personal computer having a storage system suitable forstoring an infrastructure engine and an inventory. The infrastructureengine includes user and communications interfaces, and the inventorycontains a number of assets which are each instances of the digitalcontent. Each asset is protected from unauthorized use by a digitalwrapper requiring at least one key for unwrapping.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a digitalcontent marketing mechanism operating at the speed of digitalelectronics, yet which employs the conventional, time proven, widelyunderstood, and trusted transactional interrelation of consumer,financial intermediary, and vendor.

Another advantage of the invention is that it in many cases it canprovide popular sizable instances of digital content to its consumersmuch more rapidly than existing systems. Since the invention permitsstorage of a substantial inventory of the digital content locally, thecommunications delay inherent in transmission of large BOB's(bags-of-bits) is eliminated when a desired item is locally “in stock.”

Another advantage of the invention is that it generally handles digitalcontent generically as BOB's, but does permit optional inclusion ofcontent specific after-receipt handling for specific types digitalcontent.

Another advantage of the invention is that it may be entirely automatedand may employ communications and outside services which may also beentirely automated. Because the invention uses communications serviceswhich are always available, users never have to travel to a conventionalmarket location, i.e., another geographic point. And because the outsideservices are always available, e.g., financial intermediaries, orinventory information and update providers, the users of the inventionmay employ it even when conventional markets are closed.

Another advantage of the invention is that it may employ a graphicaluser interface which users of conventional marketing mechanisms readilyunderstand and find intuitive to learn and use. For example, the userinterface may present a village containing stores having aisles stockedwith digital content assets, which the user selects and places in ashopping cart until a check-out operation is used to complete purchase.The village provides a unifying geographic metaphor, while the storescan provide either asset category or asset source metaphors. The storesmay advertise and carry out commerce at various levels of directness,and particularly by easily providing several audio and visual channelsin each. They can thus feature the three main activities of shopping fordigital products, viewing events (a digital service), and communicating(also a digital service) in chat and learning sections.

Another advantage of the invention is that it is economical for allinvolved. The vendors may easily and cheaply set up stores, since noreal world physical fixtures and extensively repetitive stock ofinventory is required. Only a master copy of an asset need be stored inthe inventory, not multiple copies of such (and a vendor will never runout of copies). The financial intermediaries can centralize and operateusing widely available communications mediums, rather than having tooperate extensive distributed service outlets. And, ultimately, viamarket competition, some portion of the reductions in operating costscaused by the above will be passed on to the end users, the consumers.

And, another advantage of the invention is that it may include varyinglevels and strengths of protection for intellectual property rightsembodied in the assets, to provide confidence to the suppliers of theassets.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome clear to those skilled in the art in view of the description ofthe best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and theindustrial applicability of the preferred embodiment as described hereinand as illustrated in the several figures of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The purposes and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description in conjunction with the appendeddrawings in which:

FIGS. 1 a-b are basic stylized depictions of how the invention mayreside in a users personal computer;

FIGS. 2 a-b are basic stylized depictions of the business model used bythe invention; FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of a suitablearchitecture for the invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting a functional overview of theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram depicting a navigational overview of portionsof the invention which reside in a client computer system;

FIG. 6 is a depiction of a top view, or “village” view, presented by agraphical user interface (GUI) suitable for use on the client computersystem;

FIG. 7 shows a store GUI view, accessible via the GUI in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows an asset GUI view, accessible via the store view in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows a purchase summary and confirmation GUI view, i.e., a“check-out” view, accessible via either the store view in FIG. 7 or theasset view in FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10 a-f show a search GUI views accessible via the GUI views inFIG. 6-8, where

FIG. 10 a depicts an asset name based search, FIG. 10 b depicts aprovider name based search,

FIG. 10 c depicts the search of FIG. 10 b expanded to include particularassets from a specific provider, FIG. 10 d depicts a category basedsearch, and FIG. 10 e depicts an overview search based on a village mapmetaphor; and

FIG. 11 is a block diagram depicting a hierarchical overview of animplementation of a master server application using access via theInternet.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a digital contentvending “machine” (“DCVM”). As illustrated in the various drawingsherein, a form of this preferred embodiment of the inventive device isdepicted by the general reference character 10.

The DCVM 10 may be advantageously viewed using two analogies. The firstof these, which is alluded to by its label, is the vending machine. Thisanalogy serves well for providing a general overview of the invention asa system for vending digital content. The second analogy is the villagesquare, which the inventors use for the graphical user interface (GUI)of the invention's preferred embodiment. This village square analogyserves particularly well for giving users an easily grasped and usableperception of the invention as a system for purchasing digital content.

A conventional vending machine, such as a coffee machine, for example,will sell its primary commodity (coffee), but then often also sellparallel market items, like tea and soup, and dispense optional items,like cream and sugar. Similarly, the DCVM 10 sells as its primarycommodity digital products, but it also may sell related information andservices for such, and also dispense customer support and access tocommunications with like minded consumers. Thus, the DCVM 10 providesboth digital products and digital services, i.e., digital content.

The DCVM 10 may be implemented to resemble a conventional town center orvillage square (i.e., a commercial hub, similar to a shopping malltoday). In such a real place there will typically be shops or storescatering to different tastes, income levels, professions, ages, etc.There will be stores that provide primarily goods, and others thatprovide primarily services. There typically will also be divertingentertainments, and areas set aside simply for communications with thosesharing similar interests. And there usually will be directory plaquesor information kiosks to help find where things are at and to assist ingetting to them. As products and services increasingly become digital,this village square analogy is readily extendable into the DCVM 10 asnow described.

FIGS. 1 a-b present how the client 12, i.e. a client application,resides on a user's personal computer (PC 14) and contains both aninfrastructure 16 and an inventory 18. The infrastructure 16 is anengine that handles the functionality of the DCVM 10, and the inventory18 is the local collection of assets 22 of merchandise or units ofservice.

The infrastructure 16 is relatively static. Like most softwareapplications, it perhaps merits an occasional upgrade as new featuresbecome available, but otherwise it is generally installed and leftalone. It is anticipated that the infrastructure 16 will usually bestored on a local hard drive 20, although in some case a hard drive 20on a local area network (LAN; not shown) may also be acceptable. Keepingthe infrastructure 16 local insures good overall DCVM 10 responsiveness.

In contrast, the inventory 18 is relatively dynamic, potentiallyincluding assets 22 such as computer software products, music, video,and anything else which can be reduced to digital format andelectronically transmitted and stored. The inventory 18 may be loaded ona local device, or it may also be accessible over a LAN having anappropriate bandwidth, since storage capacity and transfer rate are moreimportant than responsiveness for it.

In FIG. 1 a both the infrastructure 16 and the inventory 18 are depictedresiding together in fixed storage in the PC 14. Today such fixedstorage will typically be hard drives 20 (also sometimes termed a “fixeddrive”), but as other large capacity and fixed in place storage meansbecome common they may be used instead.

FIG. 1 b depicts how the infrastructure 16 may reside in fixed storage,but the inventory 18 instead reside in a removable media 24 which isaccessible by the PC 14. Some common current examples of such removablemedia 24 are CD 26, DVD 28, and tape 30, but still others are easilypossible.

In present embodiments of the DCVM 10 which are hard drive 20 deliveredapproximately one to four gigabytes of storage are used. Of this theinfrastructure 16 is roughly 50-100 megabytes in size and the inventory18 takes up the balance. For CD 26 delivered embodiments only about 600megabytes are used for the inventory 18. However, as larger capacityhard drives 20 and higher capacity removable media, like DVD's 28,become widely available the infrastructure 16 and particularly theinventory 18 may be made larger, as desired.

In one preferred embodiment, initial delivery of the infrastructure 16is on the hard drives 20 of new PC's 14. However, the DCVM 10 may alsobe “delivered” on a new hard drive 20 used for upgrading an existing PC14. Or it may even be delivered via conventional software installationby loading it from removable media 24 into the PC 14, or by downloadingit from an online source and then installing it (a newer installationtechnique becoming common today). Initial delivery of the inventory 18may similarly be in pre-loaded format on the hard drive 20, or byprovision on removable media 24 which is then placed as needed into thePC 14 for access by the infrastructure 16 (typically depending upon thecapacity of the hard drive 20).

Of course, like in real world stores, the inventory 18 of the DCVM 10needs to be replenished as sales occur, updated as new versions becomeavailable, and expanded as suppliers change and new offerings becomeavailable. Therefore, the DCVM 10 may be maintained and updated usingintelligent push technology over modern networks, like the Internet.Such push technology (e.g., compatible with ACTIVE DESKTOP™ MicrosoftCorporation, and NETCASTER™ Netscape Corporation) may also be used toprovide a one-to-one buying and selling experience for users, and toallow individual preferences to be collected and catered to without needof human intervention.

FIG. 2 a depicts, in simplified form, the business model used by theinventive DCVM 10. The end users are termed customers 40 and thoseentities providing the digital content are termed vendors 42. Thevendors 42 operate stores 44 (a term used broadly to denote a point ofsupply for any digital content, regardless of whether overtly commercialin nature). A graphical user interface (GUI), termed the village 46, isused to present collection of the stores 44 as a virtual setting inwhich the vendors 42 vend and the customers 40 consume. The stores 44 inthe village 46 advertise and carry out commerce at various levels ofdirectness, and particularly through several audio and visual channelsin each. It is expected that each store 44 typically will feature threemain activities: shopping for digital content, viewing events, andcommunicating.

FIG. 2 b depicts a more complete version of the business model. Inaddition to their local presence, the vendors 42 are also collectivelyrepresented on a master server 48, and all can invoke the assistance ofa financial intermediary termed a clearing house 50. The clearing house50 facilitates complex purchase scenarios, permits large numbers ofstores 44, and more dynamically provides service to both the customers40 and the vendors 42.

In a typical example purchase scenario, a customer 40 transmits money 52and an identifier 54 to the clearing house 50. The clearing house 50then credits the account of the particular vendor 42, and transmits backto the customer 40 a key 58. Next, usually automatically under controlof the infrastructure 16, the customer 40 sends this key 58, or part ofit, on to the master server 48, which sends back another key 58 (thekeys 58 are typically all unique). Again automatically, if desired, theinfrastructure 16 uses this second key 58 to digitally “unwrap” an asset22 of inventory 18, which has now been “purchased.” Since the money 52,identifier 54, and the keys 58 can all be relatively small, compared tothe asset 22 being purchased (typically many megabytes in size), eventransactions in very sizable digital content can be carried out quitequickly.

Of course, simpler purchase scenarios are possible. The customer 40might deal directly and entirely with the master server 48. However, atleast for the near future, there is no reason to expect that customers40 and vendors 42 will feel secure without some “online” commercialintermediary such as the clearing house 50. Alternately, if the asset 22is already part of the inventory 18, and if the vendor 42 completelytrusts the clearing house 50, and if the clearing house 50 is willing tocarry appropriate keys 58, the key 58 sent back from the clearing house50 may be made suitable for directly digitally unwrapping the asset 22.However, since some communications already must take place anyway, andsince that will often already be occurring over a medium such as theInternet, there is relatively little burden added by the customer 40 tomaster server 48 communication legs to the transaction.

The keys 58 play an important security role. They unlock a digitalwrapper 60 (not shown; but numbered for reference) protecting the asset22 once it has been paid for. In most cases the vendors 42 will stronglywant such protection, to suppress unauthorized copying of theirintellectual property. The digital wrapper 60 may use simple serialnumber entry to enable or disable a reminder feature, or it may use softor hard encryption (both conventional concepts). Alternately, thedigital wrapper 60 may use what the inventors term a “two sector steal.”

In the two sector steal, embodiments of the inventive DCVM 10 that storethe inventory 18 on a hard drive 20 have two disk sectors of information(an amount empirically found preferable by the inventors) initiallyomitted. Upon asset 22 purchase, data in the appropriate “stolen”sectors can be supplied, either as part of a key 58 itself, or via useof a key 58 to unlock sector data which has been present all along in anencrypted format. In this manner the asset 22 remains unusable until themissing parts are supplied, yet can be unwrapped reasonably quickly,particularly if the key is electronically communicated to the PC 14.

The two sector steal provides particular advantages to OEM suppliers ofPC's 14 and upgrade hard drives 20. The assets 22 can be suppliedentirely pre-installed and default configured, but with the sectorsstolen (note that sector stealing eliminates the need for bulkencryption). When such an asset 22 is then purchased the sectors aremerely installed (or in place decrypted) and the asset 22 is immediatelyand assuredly ready for use, which will eliminate many technical supportcalls to the OEM suppliers. And when the customers 40 do have to seekhelp, the issue of who is to blame for the problem is substantiallyreduced, which greatly increases their willingness to pay for supportand still hold the supplier in high regard.

For additional security, in addition even to the use of keys 58, at theoption of the vendor 42 (perhaps under a contractual obligation with theactual software publisher), assets 22 may be “machine bound” to alimited number of physical hard drives 20. For example, as discussedfurther below, even verbal delivery of keys 58 to customers 40 via thetelephone can be used by the DCVM 10. Such keys 58 obviously must bemanageable in size and directly enter able by the customers 40, yet itis highly desirable by the vendors 42 that the customers 40 not be ableto use one key 58 to unwrap more than one copy of an asset 22. This iseasily provided for if the keys 58 are each specifically related to somerelatively unique indicia on the hard drives 20. A Help/About menuaccess in the village 46 can provide a short code based upon such aunique indicia, and a customer 40 can then enter such a code with atelephone touch-tone pad to receive a key 58 which only unwraps aninstance of the particular asset 22 on their hard drive 20. In thismanner, each asset 22 purchased from the DCVM 10 may be restricted fromeven highly skilled and determined efforts at unauthorized use.

The keys 58 may also play an important commercial role, facilitatingpayment and accountability of all parties involved. They may act ascustomer 40 receipts for payment, and vendor 42 vouchers for payment.Assuming that unique keys 58 are used and are retired after one completetransactional cycle, if the a key 58 is ever lost it can simply bereissued, since it will only work once and then for only its intendedpurpose. As noted above, use of a second key 58 is optional, but muchcan be gained by doing so. This permits the vendor 42 to closely trackits market, and, more importantly, keeping the vendor 42 in the “loop”permits better customer 40 support. For example, say that a customer 40starts a purchase scenario for an asset 22 which is in the localinventory 18 in version 4.10, but the master server 48 now has a newerversion 4.15 of that asset 22 in stock. Rather than simply return a keyfor version 4.10, an offer can be communicated to the customer 40 to (1)go ahead and send the key 58 for version 4.10, or (2) transmit version4.15 of the asset 22 to update the local inventory 18 and also send thekey 58 which will unwrap it, or (3) cancel the transaction (perhaps tobe resumed after the customer is mailed a CD 26 containing an updatedinventory 18).

The master server 48 can also take an active role in maintaining theinfrastructure 16 and the inventory 18, by send updates 62 to the PC 14containing fixes and enhancements of the infrastructure 16 and newassets 22 for the local inventory 18. By using the master server 48 as acollector of preferences of the customer 40 to selective apply suchupdates 62 the inventory 18 can be particularly tailored to thepreferences and statistical purchase history of the customer 40.

To assist the master server 48 in this role, customer 40 click (and keystroke) streams can be tracked on the client 12 running on the PC 14.This in addition to a substantially unique indicia for the client 12 canthen be used with Internet push technology for determining andtransmitting appropriately tailored updates 62, or at least prioritizingsuch updates 62. The indicia used may be a code pre-stored in a harddrive 20 or a removable media 24, or it may be generated on the firstexecution of the client 12, or it may be provided as a registrationprocess on the master server 48.

FIG. 3 depicts a suitable architecture for implementing a full featuredembodiment of the inventive DCVM 10. The client 12 runs on the PC 14 ofthe customer 40, a master application 70 runs on the master server 48, aclearing house application 72 runs on the clearing house 50, and astreaming media service 74 is provided.

The client 12 resides on the PC 14 in a layered structure. The lowestlayer (hardware and BIOS layers in the PC 14 are not shown) is asuitable operating system (a client OS 76; e.g., WINDOWS 95 or WINDOWS98™ Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.). The next layer includesthe inventory 18, a village profile 78, and a preference log 80. Atopthis is a layer formed by a village manager 82, which using the villageprofile 78 and preference log 80 permits tailoring for particularcustomer 40 needs and preferences. At a higher layer are a villageinterface 84 and an update sub-client 86. Since the village interface 84itself needs updating from time to time, the update sub-client 86 needsto be in at least as high a layer. Atop this is a layer that includes anorder entry interface 88, and client protocols 90 (e.g., Marimba,BackWeb, and/or Intervu tuners for use with the Internet) forcommunications. Finally, within the client 12, is a communications layerwhich includes a telephone module 92, a private network module 94, andan Internet module 96 for respectively accessing these mediums ofcommunication.

The master application 70 similarly resides in a layered structure onthe master server 48. The lowest layer (again hardware and BIOS layersare not shown) is a suitable operating system (a server OS 98; e.g.,WINDOWS NT™ Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.). Atop this are amaster interface 100; a profile database 102, from which portionstransmitted to a client 12 become stores 44; and a master inventory 104,from which portions transmitted to a client 12 become assets 22 in theinventory 18. The next layer includes a financial peer 106 (discussedfurther presently) and an update sub-server 108. Atop this is a layerincluding an order interface 110 and server protocols 112 (e.g., aMarimba or BackWeb transmitter for use with the Internet). Finally,within the master application 70, is a communications layer whichincludes a telephone module 92, a private network module 94, and anInternet module 96.

The clearing house application 72 is run by the clearing house 50, andthus effectively is also a server. It also has as a lowest layer asuitable operating system (another server OS 98). Atop this arefinancial modules 114, which handle services like anti-fraud,pre-authorization, reporting, etc. And atop this is a financial peer106, for communicating directly with the equivalent in the masterapplication 70.

The streaming media service 74 has a suitable server OS 98 whichsupports an audio- visual database 116, atop that server protocols 112(e.g., an Intervu transmitter for use with the Internet), and also anInternet module 96.

The client 12 communicates with the master application 70 via eithertelephone 118 (touch-tone entry or using voice recognition, andpre-recorded or generated message replies), a private network 120, orthe Internet 122. Notably, the first two of these reach customers 40 whoare not yet on the Internet 122 (still about 60% of current PC 14 ownersaccording to some surveys).

If a telephone 118 is used (say to an 800 number), the customer 40 maymanually enter credit card information on the tone pad, and then hearrecited back a simple key 58 which is used to unwrap the asset 22purchased (of course, this could also be a conventional verbal humantransaction, but such are inefficient). The key 58 may be entered by thecustomer 40 at the PC 14 either as it is received, or it may be writtendown and used later when the customer 40 is off the telephone 118. If aprivate network 120 is used, the infrastructure 16 may alternatelyautomatically unlock the purchased asset 22, the customer 40 may stillnote the key 58 (presumably a simpler one) for later manual entry. Ifthe Internet 122 is used, the infrastructure 16 will automatically usethe key 58 to unwrap the asset 22 now purchased, and the key canaccordingly be larger and more complex. It should also be appreciatedthat groups of customers 40 anywhere on a local network can also use theprivate network 120 and the Internet 122 variations.

In FIG. 3 the master application 70 and the clearing house application72 are depicted as connected via a dedicated link 124, i.e., allcommercial transactions go physically through the master server 48, butwith minimal involvement of the master application 70 itself. Thisprovides for universal access by the client 12 via the masterapplication 70, even over the telephone 118 or private network 120. Thisalso provides for very high security, but that may be dispensed with asalternate security means and confidence in them become widespread,perhaps soon with secured communications over the Internet 122.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting a functional overview of theinventive DCVM 10. The client 12 is typically installed onto the harddrive 20 of a PC 14 by either an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)(step 130) or loaded by a potential customer 40 (step 132) from aremovable media 24, such as a CD 26. The client 12 then contains theinfrastructure 16, which provides the GUI of the village 46 to thecustomer 40, and which is the engine that presents the stores 44 andaccesses an inventory database 134 and the inventory 18 itself (eitheron the hard drive 20 or still on the removable media 24).

As an aside, the impression may have been conveyed that the stores 44always reside on the hard drive 20 as part of the infrastructure 16.However, while often desirable, this need not always be the case. Sincethe DCVM 10 permits addition and deletion of stores 44, and since largenumber of stores 44 may be provided, general access to particularizedsub-sets of the inventory 18 may be accomplished by putting only popularstores 44 onto the hard drive 20, and leaving the rest on the removablemedia 24. Further, as the customer 40 deletes some stores 44 and as thevillage 46 accumulates actual usage information, the stores 44 actuallyon the hard drive 20 can be changed.

For local updating of the client 12 after installation, particularly forupdating the sizable inventory database 134 and the inventory 18 (say ifit is stored on a hard drive 20), additional removable media 24, such asCD's 26 or DVD's 28, may later have their contents copied into the PC 14(step 136). However, this can be reduced considerably, or eveneliminated, if a suitable communications means is available.

Once the client 12 is installed, communications with the masterapplication 70 can ensue, directly from the customer 40 through theinfrastructure 16 and indirectly from the inventory database 134 and theinventory 18 (as depicted in FIG. 4 in uniformly dashed lines). Themaster application 70 and the clearing house application 72 are alsodepicted as able to directly communicate. Further, communications fromtechnical support 138 can pass through the master application 70 to andfrom the client 12. Since a large percentage of PC's 14 on which theDCVM 10 will be loaded will employ step 130 (OEM loading), it isparticularly anticipated that this will facilitate access to OEMsupplied technical support 138.

The customer 40 can also request fulfillment of orders for hard goods140 via the client 12. Such hard goods 140 may be ancillary to theinventory 18, e.g., manuals for computer software asset 22 in theinventory 18, or they may be entirely separate, i.e., permitting theDCVM 10 to optionally be used as a catalog server for entirelynon-digital content as well.

However, the customer 40 is not restricted to only communicating via theclient 12 to the master application 70. The customer 40 may still use asimple telephone, say using a toll free number, to verbally communicatewith phone support 142, and via the phone support 142 to also access thetechnical support 138 (depicted in FIG. 4 in non-uniformly dashedlines). This particularly facilitates the customer 40 being able to getassistance when the client 12 is “broken” and to advise that somethinghas gone awry in the master application 70.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram depicting a navigational overview of theclient 12. At the highest level is the village 46, which has a villagetemplate 150 including a village video 152, village ad's 154, and anumber of store controls 156 (combination button-icons). From thevillage 46 access is also available to a search feature 158, whichprovides a quick way to find particular assets 22 (described below), andto an extra assets feature 160 which provides access to digital contentnot presently in the inventory 18 (i.e., in the master inventory 104 onthe master server 48). From the search feature 158 there is also accessto this extra assets feature 160.

The store controls 156 of the village 46 provide access to the stores44. Each store 44 has a store template 162, aisles 164, and a shoppingcart 166. The store template 162 includes store data 168 (e.g., name,etc.); a store video 170, describing the store 44; and store ad's 172,analogous to traditional end-cap advertisements; optional Internet links174 for the store 44, i.e., for alternately reaching the sponsoringvendor 42; optional promotional ad's 176, for particular assets 22,i.e., “hot deals”; and aisle controls 178.

The aisle controls 178 provide access to the aisles 164, usually with aplurality appearing for each store 44. Each aisle 164 has an associatedaisle template 180.

The aisle templates 180 each include a number of asset controls 182,each in turn associated with an asset template 184. An asset template184 includes asset data 186 (e.g., name, provider, category, version,etc.), an asset price 188, an asset description 190, an asset video 192,an asset ad 194, a third-party opinion 196 (i.e., a review of the asset22), and an asset link 198 pointing to where the particular asset 22 isstored in the inventory 18.

By appropriate customer 40 selection when viewing an asset template 184appropriate information, such as the asset price 188 and the asset link198, are sent to the shopping cart 166, a place where informationidentifying prospective asset 22 purchases accumulates prior to formalpurchase. Later, back at the store 44 level, the customer 40 can thenaccess the shopping cart 166 and invoke an order module 200 toselectively complete formal purchase of chosen assets 22 in the shoppingcart 166.

FIG. 6 depicts a suitable village view 210 for presentation to thecustomer 40. A series of ad cells 212 are placed about the village view210. These may contain either fixed or banner advertisements from thevillage ad's 154. The major features of the village view 210 are thestore controls 156, each with respective store data 168 prominentlydisplayed, and a centrally placed video display 214. Further provided,at the bottom of the village view 210, are a video control 216, tostart/restart the village video 152 in the video display 214; a searchcontrol 218, which invokes features described below; a guarantee control220, which invokes display in the video display 214 of businessinformation about the parties operating the master application 70, theclearing house application 72, and the respective vendors 42; and adelete village control 222, to entirely eliminate the DCVM 10 from thePC 14.

FIG. 7 depicts a suitable store view 230 for presentation to thecustomer 40. The store data 168 (at least the store name) and the storead 172 are displayed at the top. Below is a row containing the aislecontrols 178. And below that row is an aisle sub-view 232, which changesdepending upon which aisle control 178 is currently selected. The aislesub-view 232 includes a video display 234, asset controls 182, an aisleupdate control 236, a next page control 238 (to display a subsequentview of assets, since aisles may often contain more than will fit on oneview), and a delete aisle control 240. At the bottom of the store view230 are the video control 216, to here start/restart playback of thestore video 170; a promo control 242, to start/restart playback of thepromotional ad's 176; the guarantee control 220; a links control 244, todisplay the Internet links 174 for the store 44; the search control 218;an update store control 246; a return to village control 248, to returnto the village view 210; a checkout control 250; and a delete storecontrol 252, to remove the present store 44 from the client 12.

FIG. 8 depicts a suitable asset view 260 for presentation to thecustomer 40. Displayed at the top are the asset control 182 (here actingonly as an icon, since it cannot be selected to go to another view), theasset data 186 (at least the asset name), and the asset price 188. Belowis an asset sub-view 262 which includes an asset display 264 and theasset ad 194 (typically a banner type ad, which “rotates” continuously).

At the bottom of the asset view 260 are a shopping cart control 266 (toadd the present asset to the shopping cart 166), the video control 216,an opinion control 268, the guarantee control 220, the search control218, the checkout control 250, a return to store control 270, the returnto village control 248, and a delete asset control 272.

Depending upon operation by the customer 40, the asset display 264presents either the asset description 190 (the default), the asset video192, the third-party opinion 196, or guarantee information.

FIG. 9 depicts a suitable checkout view 280 for presentation to thecustomer 40. Included is an asset table 282 which displays informationabout all of the assets 22 presently in the shopping cart 166. Acrossthe top of the asset table 282 are column headings 284, indicatingavailability options, e.g., “without hardgoods,” “with hardgoods,” and“media type.” Along the left side of the asset table 282 are rowheadings 286 containing respective asset names (from the asset data186). Depending upon which columns they are in, the cells of the assettable 282 contain asset prices 188 or availability options, and in somecases also function as controls.

For example, assuming the availability options listed above in the assettable 282 presented in FIG. 9, the topmost row 288 contains data only incell 290 (the leftmost). Further, cell 290 contains an asset price 188which is not highlighted (in FIG. 9 heavy cell outline designateshighlighting). This situation depicts that the asset 22 in row 288 isonly available without hardgoods, and that the customer 40 has not yetselected this cell to confirm that they do want to purchase this.

The middle row 292 in this example contains asset prices 188 both incell 294 and in cell 296, and cell 298 is highlighted and contains textdescribing a media type. This situation depicts that the asset 22 in row292 is available both with and without hardgoods, at the respectiveprices, and that the “with hardgoods” option has already been selectedby the customer 40 (as indicated by the highlighting of cell 296 ratherthan cell 294). The customer 40 here may chose among multiple mediatypes (as indicated by the presence of highlighting in cell 298).Further, since cell 298 is highlighted, the customer 40 may operate itas a control, say with a mouse double-click, to cycle between theavailable media type choices.

The bottom row 300 in this example contains nothing in cell 302,designating that this asset 22 always comes with hardgoods (say amanual); a price in cell 304 (un-highlighted, and thus as yetun-selected); and un-highlighted text in cell 306. The absence ofhighlighting for a media type indicates that no choice is available, sothe customer 40 should be particularly sure that they can use the mediatype being noted.

Also appearing in the checkout view 280 are a sub-total box 308, a grandtotal box 310, a sub-total control 312, and a purchase control 314. Thesub-total box 308 displays a running total of the asset prices 188 forselected assets 22 in the asset table 282 (note that only one of thethree displayed assets 22 is actually selected in the example, so onlyits price is used in the sub-total). By activating the sub-total control312 the customer 40 requests display in the grand total box 310 of theamount in the sub-total box 308 plus applicable shipping costs and taxes(here the sub-total plus 8.25% tax and $3.00 shipping and handling).Activating the purchase control 314 formally requests that purchase takeplace.

Across the bottom of the checkout view 280 are the guarantee control220, the return to store control 270, and the return to village control248.

FIG. 10 a-e are stylized depictions of the information presented to thecustomer 40 when the search control 218 is selected. A search view 320then appears which includes an asset control 322, a provider control324, a category control 326, a map control 328, a text entry box 330, acharacter selection array 332, and a list box 334. In some cases thelist box 334 can further include a sub-list 336 (FIG. 10 c), and in onecase the text entry box 330, the character selection array 332, and thelist box 334 may all be replaced with a map sub-view 338 (FIG. 10 e).

FIG. 10 a shows the default of a search view 320, i.e., a view firstseen by the customer 40. The asset control 322 is highlighted (shownwith a heavy lining in the figure) to confirm to the customer 40 thatthe asset based variation of the search view 320 is currently active.The customer 40 may select a provider control 324, a category control326, or a map control 328 to use other variations of the search view320. Or, if they have already done so, selecting the asset control 322will return them to the variation of FIG. 10 a.

In the asset based search view 320 of FIG. 10 a, the customer 40 mayeither type initial letters of the asset name (as it appears in theasset data 186) into the text entry box 330 (as depicted in FIG. 10 a),or mouse click a first letter in the character selection array 332.These operations scroll the list box 334, which in this variationdisplays names for assets 22. Alternately, the customer 40 can directlyscroll the list box 334. By appropriate choice, perhaps as a setupoption, selection of a particular entry in the list box 334 cause anassociated asset 22 to be added to the shopping cart 166, or this cantake the customer 40 to the asset view 260, with the selected asset 22there displayed.

If the customer 40 selects the provider control 324 the search view 320changes to the variation shown in FIG. 10 b. Again letters can beentered in the text entry box 330 or mouse clicking may be used toselect a first letter in the character selection array 332 to scroll thelist box 334 (the case depicted in FIG. 10 b), but now provider namesare instead displayed for assets 22 in both the inventory 18 (the namesas recorded in the asset data 186) and also the master inventory 104.

FIG. 10 c shows how selection of a particular provider name in the listbox 334 can then cause further display of a sub-list 336 to show assets22 available from the selected provider. Highlighting, underlining (usedin FIG. 10 c), or some other convention may be used to distinguish whichassets 22 are present locally in the inventory 18, and which are in themaster inventory 104. As discussed for FIG. 10 a, above, selection of aparticular asset entry can be configured to take the user to the assetview 260 or add the selection to the shopping cart 166.

If the customer 40 selects the category control 326 the search view 320changes to the variation shown in FIG. 10 d. Again letters can beentered in the text entry box 330 or mouse clicking may select a letterin the character selection array 332 (the case depicted in FIG. 10 d) toscroll the list box 334, but now it instead displays categories ofassets 22 in both the inventory 18 and also the master inventory 104.Selection of a particular entry in the list box 334 presents thesub-list 336, only now containing assets by category, and moving to theasset view 260 or addition to the shopping cart 166 can proceed.

In keeping with the village 46 analogy, a map variation of the searchview 320 may also be invoked, by selecting the map control 328. Thisvariation is depicted in FIG. 10 e, which has the text entry box 330,the character selection array 332, and the list box 334 all replacedwith a map sub-view 338. The map sub-view 338 presents a graphicsomewhat resembling a conventional map, but since geographic locationneed not be represented, what is instead displayed are generalcategories presented as regions encompassing related sub-categories.Here selecting a category or subcategory takes the customer 40 to anappropriate other view.

In the preferred embodiment, the DCVM 10 is a hybrid application thatcombines web content (HTML, Java, Shockwave, chat streams, etc.) andtraditional C++ programming to create a dynamic and engaging shoppingenvironment in the setting of the stores 44 throughout the village 46.The DCVM 10 may employ features such as digital certificates, ActiveMovie and a content advisor system. The invention is also scalable,making it able to work in most current PC 14 environments. Theinventor's preferred base hardware platform is a 90 MHz Pentiummicroprocessor with 16 MB of RAM, 50 MB of free hard drive space, videocapability of 800×600 SVGA and 1 MB VRAM, a 16 bit sound system, a 4×CD-ROM drive, the client OS 76 previously described, an analog or ISDNtelephone connection (or Ethernet network connection to a system havingone of these), and Internet access software. Access to the Internet 122is desirable, but optional. In addition to the above mentioned examples,various other modifications and alterations of the inventive DCVM 10 maybe made without departing from the invention.

Up to this point discussion has primarily been of the client 12. Thishas been because the master application 70 may be substantiallyimplemented using conventional client-server and hypertext markup-uplanguage (HTML) techniques. For example, FIG. 11 is a hierarchicaloverview of an implementation of the master application 70 of theinventive DCVM 10, using access via the Internet 122. The client 12accesses the master application 70 by connection to a hypothetical siteat www.master.com (“master” is used here as a hypothetical site domainname). At an HTML home page 350, registered and non-registered clients12 can enter here, as well as those accessing entirely other features352 (although registered clients 12 will more typically go directly todesired lower level services). Alternately, accessingwww.master.com/view invokes a browse module 354, so that the customer 40using a registered client 12 can view extra assets 22 not in theinventory 18 of the client 12; accessing www.master.com/buy invokes apurchase module 356, for customers 40 to directly purchase suchnon-local assets 22 and/or hard goods 140 from out of the masterinventory 104; accessing www.master.com/update invokes an update module358, to update the inventory 18 in the client 12; www.master.com/comminvokes an issue service module 360, for support for issue resolutionand access to frequently asked question (FAQ) lists; andwww.master.com/fix invokes a technical update module 362, to obtain bugfixes and updates of the infrastructure 16 in the client 12. Finally,also shown in FIG. 11 are a customer database 364, a log file 366, and areport generator 368, all of which may also be largely conventional innature.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present DCVM 10 is well suited for customers 40 with personalcomputers (PC's 14) to shop at the stores 44 in the village 46. Thecustomers 40 can browse for “best of class” software, learn new computerskills, and obtain the latest news or other information on topics ofinterest. It is anticipated that these digital content assets 22 willinitially primarily be software and computer related services, but theunderlying concept here easily extends to include music and videocontent, as consumers of such increasingly gain computer sophistication.For example, the stores 44 may provide top software titles (say the top200, as determined by best seller lists), with some stores 44specializing in children's interests, others in adult's interests,others in business interests, etc. Since top-selling (i.e., highdesirability) assets 22 may be made available in the stores 44 virtuallyimmediately, they are available at precisely the times that thecustomers 40 are most likely to buy—right after they purchase a PC 14,or later as impulse or need directs. There is no driving to a store 44;the stores 44 are open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365days a year. Shopping in the stores 44 is friendly and hassle free(e.g., there is no sales pressure); and delivery of assets 22 from thelocal inventory 18 is virtually instantaneous, is guaranteed, and isfree. In sum, the customers 40 may receive superior service, gainconfidence in, and have access to what they want (which as describedbelow, can be pre-loaded, and even default configured, i.e., virtuallyassuring that it will work).

The present DCVM 10 is similarly well suited for the vendors 42.Traditional vendors 42 can easily set up stores 44 the village 46 andconcentrate on their product or service sales missions, leaving systemmanagement to the provider of the master server 48 and financial mattersto the clearing house 50. Further, in the DCVM 10 the stores 44 can havepotentially huge customer 40 traffic yet have very low operating cost.Thus, many additional and diverse potential vendors 42 may chose tooperate stores 44 in the village 46.

The vendors 42 can also provide communications with shopkeepers,customer support, and technical support personnel in the stores 44. TheDCVM 10 particularly lends itself to various marketing incentives fororiginal equipment manufactures (OEM's) of PC's 14. The system buildersof PC's 14 can set up their own outlets and customer service centers(i.e., become vendors 42) in the village 46 shipped with the PC's 14which they supply. They can also use the inherent push technology of theInternet 122 to keep these current and to promote special offers,upgrades, rebates, or software service programs. Securing a spot in thevillage 46 enables system builders to establish and maintain a channelof communications between themselves and their individual customers 40.Thus suppliers can easily enter the software business profitably andcreate an annuity stream that can continue for years. To “boot strap”the customers 40 into this new manner of commerce, one store 44 can evensell Internet subscription and setup.

The present DCVM 10 is similarly well suited for maintaining thetraditional roles of the financial and governmental sectors, which aremajor concerns today in Internet based commerce. All transactions can bescreened for fraud by the clearing houses 50, which may be operated byleading members of the financial industry. To ease commerce vialicensing and to minimize disputes, or easily resolve those that dooccur, the DCVM 10 may conform to the buying and license managementschemes as defined by the Software Publisher's Association, thusassuring compliance with industry standards for credit card andintellectual proprietary protection. Finally, to facilitate governmentalregulatory and taxation roles, the master server 48 and the clearinghouse 50 are highly audit able.

The key to the inventive DCVM 10 being able to function as describedabove is that it is stored in the PC 14 of the customer 40, thusbringing a plethora of digital content deliverable goods and servicesfrom a wide variety of vendors 42 directly to the customer 40.Accordingly, wide and rapid acceptance of the DCVM 10 can be expected.

In addition to the above mentioned examples, various other modificationsand alterations of the inventive DCVM 10 may be made without departingfrom the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure is not to beconsidered as limiting and the appended claims are to be interpreted asencompassing the true spirit and the entire scope of the invention.

1. A system for marketing digital content on a personal computer,comprising: communications means for communicating over a communicationsmedium; client means for: storing at the personal computer an inventoryof assets which are instances of the digital content, wherein each saidasset is protected from unauthorized use by a digital wrapper requiringat least one key for unwrapping, displaying on the personal computerinformation about said inventory, accepting from a user of the personalcomputer a selection representing a particular said asset, transmittingmoney representing payment for said selection and an identifierassociated with said selection, via said communications means, receivingall said keys required for unwrapping said selection, via saidcommunications means, and unwrapping said digital wrapper protectingsaid selection; and clearing house means for: receiving said money andsaid identifier from the personal computer, via said communicationsmeans, and transmitting one said key associated with said selection backto the personal computer. 2-25. (canceled)
 26. A system for marketingdigital content to a user on a personal computer, comprising: a harddrive installed in the personal computer, wherein an inventory of assetsare stored in said hard drive, said assets are instances of the digitalcontent, and said assets are protected from unauthorized use by adigital wrapper; a logic in the personal computer to: displayinformation about said inventory to the user; accept a selection by theuser of a particular said asset; transmit money representing payment forsaid selection and an identifier associated with said selection to aclearing house; receive a first key from said clearing house; transmitsaid first key to a master server; receive a second key from said masterserver; and with said second key unwrap said digital wrapper protectingsaid selection.
 27. The system of claim 26, wherein said hard drive isinstalled by a manufacturer of the personal computer with said inventoryalready pre-stored therein.
 28. A unit for use in marketing digitalcontent to a user of a personal computer, comprising: a hard drive forinstallation into the personal computer, wherein: an inventory of assetsare stored in said hard drive; said assets are instances of the digitalcontent, wherein at least one said asset is an executable software thatis pre-configured to run from said hard drive once it is installed inthe personal computer; and said assets are protected from unauthorizeduse by a digital wrapper; and wherein said hard drive includes a clientlogic that is installable into the personal computer to: displayinformation about said inventory to the user; accept a selection by theuser of a particular said asset; transmit money representing payment forsaid selection and an identifier associated with said selection to aclearing house; receive a first key from said clearing house; transmitsaid first key to a master server; receive a second key from said masterserver; and with said second key unwrap said digital wrapper protectingsaid selection.